Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-26

40 sn eay With Sss Se HANDLED more
The rest OF the report was In phrase OF Lieut.
Greene ana the other officers and the crew.
THE STORY roGn By IIKrr. GREENE
few days after the engagement Lieut. Greene
wrote letter To his mother describing the dan
gers OF the voyage by sea- aud the battle with
the iron monster. The letter was written on
board OF the Monitor at the scene OF the engage
ment, and only i've days after IT, copy OF this
letter was given THE STAR reporter by Admiral
worden. Lieut. Greene tells his mother that on
the sea voyage OF two DAYS and a-half ne uycd
ten full years; that the ''sea was breaking OVER
the decks at a great rate and coming In our
hawse-pipe forward In perfect floods =. The
water came down under the tower uksa water
fall" IL "came through the narrow eye-hole OF
the pilot-house with such force as 10 knox the
helmsman completely round from the wheel" RE-
ferring TO when the water washed in the smoke
stacks so that the blowers gave OUT and the en-
gine-room nled with deadly gas he says:
''Then, MOTHER occurred scene shall
heroes. every one OF them. They fought with
the gas, endeavortng 20 get the blowers to work
sufYocated with the gas, hut cot on dsrk alter
everyone had left the engine ROOM just In time 20
save myself. Three fr'men We're in the same
condition as the engineerS> Then times locked
rather blue We had no fear as long the engine
could be kept going 10 pump out the water. but
Immediately rigged a hand pump on the berth
deck, but as we were obliged TO lead the hose out
over the tower, there was not force enough In tho
pump TO throw water out. Our only resource now
was 20 bail, and that was useless a. We had To
pass the buckets up through the tower, which
we did not know: we had done ali in our power,
and must Lee things take their own course. For
t tS the wind was on shore 80 We hailed
for the shore, in order 10 get In the
smooth water. Al 8 pm. we managed 20 get the
engine 10 60. and everything comparatively quiet
again The captain had been up nearly ali the
previous night and as we did not like 10 leave the
would keep the watch from 3 10 - he take it
from IL 20 4, and would relieve him from 10 s.
Wei. the first watch passed OF very nicely,
tank going along at the rate OF I'VE or SIX knots
very nicely. All had 10 do was to keep awake
the afternoon. AT II O'Clock things looked 10 Ia
vorable that told the captain he need not turn
out would lie down with my clothes on, and u
TO Il. He said very well, and went to my room
and hoped TO get little nap. | had scarcely gos
TO my bunk when was startled by
TBE MOST INTERNAL NOISE
I had ever heard The Merrimac's fiffng last Sun
day was music TO ft! We were Just passing q
shoal- and the sea suddenly became rough. lt
came up with tremendous force through our
anchor well and forced the air through our hawss
pipe where the chain comes. and then the water
would rush through In perfect storm. clear 20
our birth deck, over the wartroom table. The
and was the most dismal awful sound have ever
heard OF course the captain and myself
were on our feet In a minute and en-
deavortng to stop the hawse pipe. We sue
ceeded partially, but now the water began to
same accident that happened IN the afternoon
We tried 10 hail the tugboat but the wind being
dead ahead they could not hear US and we had no
way OF signaling Them as the steam whistle which
father had recommended had not been put on We
began then TO think that the Monitor would never
wafph nod aarn frrllr LA urafar
that went down the blowers and sent cont nually
to ask the fireman how they were going His only
answer was slowly but could not be kept going
much longer unless the water could be- stopped
from coming down. The sea was washing COM
man to 90 on them. 40 we could do nothlng 10 The
blowers In the midst OF all this our whee-rope
Jumped on the steer1ngwheel owing 10 the pitch
Ing OF the ship and became damned. She now
began TO sheer about at an awful rate, and we
thought our hawser would certainly part. In the
course OF half an hour the wheel-rope was fixed
About O'Clock the sea got little smoother. ''s
From 4 O'Clock until daylight was the longest
hour and half ever spent
APPROACHING HAMPTON ROADS.
"When about half way between Fortress Monroe
| and Cape Henry we spoke a pilot-boat He told
US the Cumberland was sunk, and the Congress
was on fire and surrendered 10 the Merrimac. We
| did not credit IL at first, but as we approached
Hampton Roads we could see the fine old Congress
burning brightly, and we knew that it must be So
| Sad, indeed did we feel . went on board
captain what his prospects were OF getting on. He
said he should try TO get anoat at a m, when fs
was high water Just as got back 10 the
Monitor the Congress blew up, and certainly q
grander sight was never seen, but IL went straight
10 .ne marrow on our bones MOI WORD was SAID.
the side Of the Merrimac.
THE FIGHT WITH THE hKRRMAc.
eat a. ID. We anchored near the Minnesota The
captain and myself remained ON deck, waiting for
81
sofa was anoat and coming down TO u.s. so we got
under way soon as possible ana stood out TO tho
| channel After backing and nlling about for an
hour we found We were mistaken, and anchored
| again. AT daylight We discovered the Merrimac
at anchor with several other vessels under SeweIs
Point. We Immediately made every preparation
for battle. At a m. Sunday, 12th.) the Merr1-
mac got under way, accompanied by several
steamers, and started directly for the Minnesota
BY this time our anchor was up, the men al quar-.
| ters, and everything ready for action. As the
Merrimac came down the captain passed the word
the gun, and fired the first gun. Then
began the great battle between the Mon
condition our men ana Officers were
in. Since Friday evening, as hours they had no
venienIiy cook. They had been hard at WORK an
night, had nothing TO eat for breakfast except
hard bread and were thoroughly worn out. As
for myself had not slept wink for 81 hours, and
had been on my feet almost constantly. But after
the first gun was fired We forgot all fatigue and
hard work and everything else, and went 10 work
fght1Dg as hard as men ever fought We loaded
and fired as fast as we could Every shot, 1 would
ask the captain the effect, and the majority OF
them were encouraging. The captain was in the
ptlot-h0uSe directing the movements of the vessel
The speaking trumpet from the tower 10
the pilot-houSe was broken, so we passed the word
from the captain TO myself on the berth deck by
Paymaster keeer and Captains Clerk Toffey. Five
times during the engagement we (the vessels,
touched eacn other, and each time fired a gun at
her. and would vouch that the It's pounds penetra-
ted her SIDE once she tried 10 run down with her
iron prov, but did us no damage. After flghting
Tor two hours We hauled on for half hour 10
hoist our shot In the tower. AT IL we went again
as hard as we could. The shot, shell, grape CAN
ister musket, and rifle balls new about In
every direction but did no damage. Our tower
was struck several times and although the noise
and one OF the men were carelessly leaning
opposite to them and disabled them Tor an hour or
Two.
THE CAPTAIN DISABLED.
"At IL 30 the captain sent for me. went for
ward, and there stood as noble man as ever lived
at the foot OF the ladder OF the pilot-house His
face perfectly black with powder and iron, and
he was apparently blind. I asked him what was
the matter, and he said a shot had struck the
pilot-house directly opposite his eyes, binding
them, and he thought the pilot-house was dam
aged He told me 10 take charge OF the ship and
use my own discretion. led him TO his room, laid